Solar ... In the news

Martyn1981

tunnel wrote: »

Based on these tariffs surely it would be better for someone considering a large scale solar farm to negotiate a better rate direct with an energy company. If they "sold" the electric at say 10p a kWh the energy company can make a nice healthy 10-20% markup(based on average price 11-14p a unit) on something they may only have to invest a small amount to improve the infrastructure to handle the power.

It doesn't make sense....or am i missing something?

Hiya Tunnel, remember that ROCs are paid as a subsidy for generating (similar to FITs) so the farm will also get paid export rates by the leccy company they sell to, on top of that. Spot prices will vary, but average is around 4.5p. PV and wind have to sell as they generate.

Wind will benefit by selling at peak times, but lose out at low demand times (such as night). Demand during PV times might be slightly above average (?) (price wise), but PV farms won't get the really high rates paid at max peak times such as winter evening.

Mart.

spgsc531

1030 in the morning and PV in Germany producing 16.5GW..and it's only 5 March!!

spgsc531

http://blog.theecoexperts.co.uk/solar-pv-sales-soar-147-in-japan

Yet another country that 'just doesn't get it'

The_Green_Man wrote: »

Thanks graham, I really needed a post like yours to 'steady the ship'.

I'd love to know how many of these guys spouting on about their green credentials would have installed PIR without the FiTs.

Cheers though, you've restored my faith that some people 'get it'.

Cardew wrote: »

It is the disingenous justification of FITs by some posters that is so pathetic.

Martyn1981

Report on renewables, and the affect they will have (are having) on the big utilities companies:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/08/us-utilities-threat-idUSBRE92709E20130308

"(Reuters) - Every new solar panel installed on European rooftops chips away at power utilities' centralized production model. Unless they reinvent themselves soon, these giants risk becoming the dinosaurs of the energy market."

---

"Even renewables fans agree that centralized generation will not disappear, as renewable energy will need the back-up of traditional power plants.

But the longer renewables are subsidized, said Redgwell, allowing them to obtain critical mass and become cheaper, the greater the possibility that their price will rival retail electricity prices, in a classic threat of substitution."

---

"Meanwhile, utilities have not quite figured out how to engage with Europe's sun-harvesting citizens, which Varro says number about a million, mainly in Germany and Italy.

Utilities could benefit greatly if they did not treat rooftop solar as competition for their thermal plants but as a gateway into that new market, Richter argues.

Utilities could sell solar panels, provide financing and grid connection, and build a service relationship to generate a revenue stream."

---

"In the long term, competitive, non-subsidized renewables could be a big win for society. And a big loss for utilities."

Mart.

PeterZ_2

I think the big 6 are well aware that people generating their own electricity at home is eating into their profits.

Has anyone else noticed that the standing charge is making a comeback?

EricMears

PeterZ wrote: »

I think the big 6 are well aware that people generating their own electricity at home is eating into their profits.

Has anyone else noticed that the standing charge is making a comeback?

It never really went away !

Those companies claiming not to have one jacked up the price of the first hundred (or whatever) units per quarter such that anyone who used more than that threshhold (which is practically everybody) would make a contribution equal to the old standing charge.

Probably the only real beneficiaries of that sort of scheme are households left unoccupied for long periods.

rogerblack

[QUOTE=EricMears;59920869
Probably the only real beneficiaries of that sort of scheme are households left unoccupied for long periods.[/QUOTE]

The first unit rate significantly penalises low users, and reduces incentives to save electricity.
At the moment, I'm paying 10p/unit, plus 18p for the first 2.5/day.

If I halve my usage from 100 units a day to 50, my bill halves.
If I halve it from 10 to 5, it does not.

Personally, I would favour it simply going on a levy on the main unit rate.

zeupater

EricMears wrote: »

It never really went away !

Those companies claiming not to have one jacked up the price of the first hundred (or whatever) units per quarter such that anyone who used more than that threshhold (which is practically everybody) would make a contribution equal to the old standing charge.

Probably the only real beneficiaries of that sort of scheme are households left unoccupied for long periods.

Hi

I pretty much agree .... it would currently be pretty hard to not pay the equivalent of the standing charge within tier1 pricing.

Being low energy users and producing a considerable amount of out own energy, electricity & thermal, we're pretty close to the electricity price break threshold every quarter, averaging ~3.5kWh/day in the past 12mths to date. Gas is different for us, over the last 12months we used 13kWh over two consecutive warm quarters and for the cold quarters, one was below the threshold and one above .... not bad considering that this last winter was comparitively cold, but to counter this we've needed an additional load of logs, however, these come without a standing charge

HTH
Z

The_Green_Hornet

Renewable energy projects are putting parts of Cornwall's electricity grid under severe strain, according to the region's power firm.

Western Power Distribution (WPD) said that without expensive investment the grid would struggle to cope with taking any more power.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21753854

zeupater

The_Green_Hornet wrote: »

Renewable energy projects are putting parts of Cornwall's electricity grid under severe strain, according to the region's power firm.

Western Power Distribution (WPD) said that without expensive investment the grid would struggle to cope with taking any more power.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-21753854

.... ......

I particulary like the quote from Greg Barker ... "But we need 21st century connections to get that energy out of Cornwall and into the rest of the country." .... now, where have we had a discussion on that in the past? ..... :cool:

Z